• IPA: /meɪt/
• (British) IPA: /meiʔ/

mate (plural mates)

1. A fellow, comrade, colleague, partner or someone with whom something is shared, e.g. shipmate, classmate.
2. (especially of a non-human animal) A breeding partner.
3. (colloquial, British, Australia, New Zealand) A friend, usually of the same sex.

   I'm going to the pub with a few mates.

   He's my best mate.

4. (colloquial, British, Australia, New Zealand) friendly term of address to a stranger, usually male, of similar age

   Excuse me, mate, have you got the time?

5. (nautical) In naval ranks, a non-commissioned officer or his subordinate (e.g. Boatswain's Mate, Gunner's Mate, Sailmaker's Mate, etc).
6. (nautical) A ship's officer, subordinate to the master on a commercial ship.
7. (nautical) A first mate.
8. A technical assistant in certain trades (e.g. gasfitter's mate, plumber's mate); sometimes an apprentice.
9. The other member of a matched pair of objects.

   I found one of the socks I wanted to wear, but I couldn't find its mate.

10. A suitable companion; a match; an equal.
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. A Poem Written in Ten Books, London: Printed [by Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […] [a]nd by Robert Boulter […] [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], OCLC 228722708 ↗; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: The Text Exactly Reproduced from the First Edition of 1667: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554 ↗:

      Ye knew me once no mate / For you; there sitting where you durst not soar.

• fellow
• fere (poetic, archaic)
• friend
• buddy
• sir
• partner
• See also Thesaurus:friend
• See also Thesaurus:spouse

• Italian: copulatore, riproduttore
• Russian: па́ра
• Spanish: pareja

• German: Maat
• Italian: secondo, ufficiale in seconda

• Russian: помо́щник капита́на

• Italian: aiutante, assistente

• French: copain, camarade
• German: (colloquial) Kumpel
• Italian: compagno, amico, camerata
• Portuguese: mano, camarada
• Russian: това́рищ
• Spanish: mano

• Italian: socio, membro, affiliato
• Russian: това́рищ

mate (mates, present participle mating; past and past participle mated)

1. (intransitive) To match, fit together without space between.

   The pieces of the puzzle mate perfectly.

2. (intransitive) To copulate.
3. (intransitive) To pair in order to raise offspring
4. (transitive) To arrange in matched pairs.
5. (transitive) To introduce (animals) together for the purpose of breeding.
6. (transitive, of an animal) To copulate with.
7. (transitive) To marry; to match (a person).
   • 1611 April (first recorded performance)​, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act I, scene i]:

     If she be mated with an equal husband.

8. (transitive) To match oneself against; to oppose as equal; to compete with.
   • 1625, Francis Bacon, Of Death

     There is no passion in the mind of man so weak but it mates and masters the fear of death.

   • 1613, William Shakespeare; [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act III, scene ii]:

     I, […] in the way of loyalty and truth, […] / Dare mate a sounder man than Surrey can be.

9. (transitive) To fit (objects) together without space between.
10. (transitive, aerospace) To move (a space shuttle orbiter) onto the back of an aircraft that can carry it.

• couple
• match
• pair

• (aerospace) demate

• French: s'accoupler
• German: sich paaren
• Italian: copulare, accoppiarsi, fare l'amore, fornicare, montare
• Portuguese: acasalar
• Russian: спа́риваться
• Spanish: aparearse

• Italian: accoppiare
• Russian: спа́ривать

• Portuguese: emparelhar

mate (plural mates)

1. (chess) Clipping of checkmate#English|checkmate.

mate (mates, present participle mating; past and past participle mated)

1. (chess) Clipping of checkmate#English|checkmate.
2. To confuse; to confound.

• Russian: поста́вить мат

mate (plural mates)

1. Alternative spelling of maté, an aromatic tea-like drink prepared from the holly yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis).
2. The abovementioned plant; the leaves and shoots used for the tea